Antonee Robinson of the United States reacts after losing 0-1 against Uruguay at the end of a Copa America Group C soccer match in Kansas City, Mo., Monday, July 1, 2024.KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The United States was eliminated from the Copa America with a 1-0 loss to Uruguay on Mathías Olivera’s questionable second-half goal Monday night, a defeat sure to increase pressure on the U.S. Soccer Federation to remove coach Gregg Berhalter before the 2026 World Cup.
“We had a good start and brought a lot of energy but at the end of the day, just not enough quality,” U.S. captain Christian Pulisic said. “I felt like we gave it everything but we just couldn’t score.”Three minutes before Uruguay scored, the U.S. was in position to advance when Bruno Miranda tied the score for Bolivia against Panama in a game that started simultaneously in Orlando, Florida. But Panama went on to a 3-1 victory and claimed the second spot in Group C behind Uruguay.
Berhalter and the Americans knew the difficulty of their situation — Pulisic at one point said they would need to play “the best game of our lives” to advance — and they looked like a team with nothing to lose for most of the first half.Folarin Balogun, who had two goals already in the tournament, bore the brunt of several challenges.
In the middle of the chaos was 32-year-old Peruvian referee Kevin Ortega, whose several questionable calls hurt the U.S.